"Yes, Captain Mink!"
Sunflower responded in a firm voice.
Qing and Haidao, standing nearby, dared not disobey Kazuki's order this time and followed Sunflower to clean up Kakuzu's body.
"Kid, not bad!"
Tsunade looked at Kazuki with a gleam in her eyes and spoke aloud,
"That level of combat power… you might be stronger than me!"
As the battle concluded, Kazuki quickly composed himself, returning to his usual state.
"Tsunade-sama is joking," he replied.
"Without Tsunade-sama's assistance, our Anbu team might not have made it out of this battle."
Kazuki wasn't just being polite.
Even with his current strength, taking on two Akatsuki members simultaneously had been incredibly difficult.
"Hahaha, you little brat sure know how to talk!"
Tsunade laughed heartily, then removed the bow slung across her back and handed it to Kazuki.
"Here, take this back. It belongs to you."
Kazuki smiled but made no move to accept it.
"This bow is a token of appreciation for Tsunade-sama's help. Please keep it."
Tsunade shook her head.
"No way! A favor is a favor!"
"I helped you because you helped me win money at the casino. That was the deal."
"This bow was never part of our agreement."
She stepped forward and extended the bow toward Kazuki again.
The tracking bow was undeniably a powerful weapon—one could even call it an artifact.
Anyone would be tempted to keep it, and Tsunade was no exception.
But in the end, she resisted the urge and insisted on returning it.
"Winning a little money at the casino doesn't compare to this life-threatening battle. This bow is an additional reward—it's yours now."
"Please, Tsunade-sama, don't refuse."
"It would be hypocritical to argue further."
Kazuki smiled as he spoke.
"Fine, since you put it that way, I'll accept it!"
Tsunade responded with her usual boldness.
Then she asked, "Are you heading back to Konoha now?"
Kazuki nodded.
"Alright, I'll go with you!"
Tsunade knew it wouldn't sit well with her to part ways after accepting such a valuable gift.
Besides, if they ran into another battle on the way, she could assist and properly earn the bow.
"I haven't been back to Konoha in years. This is a good chance to see how things are now…"
Kazuki had no reason to refuse Tsunade's offer.
Soon,
The Anbu team finished clearing Kakuzu's body,
And Kazuki's group set off for Konoha once more.
Two days later…
Konoha — Hokage's Office
"Kazuki, you've done well!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi praised him with a satisfied nod.
"This was my duty, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi carefully reviewed the mission report, reading it over multiple times.
After a moment, he chuckled.
"I'm upgrading this to an A-rank mission. When you collect your reward, make sure not to claim it as just a B-rank mission."
"Old man, you're being too stingy!"
Tsunade's loud voice suddenly rang through the office.
"A-rank?!"
"Tell me—wasn't this mission as dangerous as any S-rank mission?!"
Normally, speaking so disrespectfully in the Hokage's office would result in immediate action from the Anbu guards hidden in the shadows.
But this time, no one moved.
Because the person complaining was none other than Tsunade Senju—the granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin.
No one dared to challenge her.
Sarutobi, after being scolded by Tsunade, hesitated for a moment.
Then, with a chuckle, he relented.
"Fine, fine! I'll upgrade it to an S-rank!"
This was a trivial matter for Sarutobi Hiruzen, and it also allowed him to give face to both Kazuki and Tsunade. There was no reason not to do it.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kazuki responded calmly.
"Alright, Kazuki, if you have nothing else to report, you may leave. The old man hasn't seen Tsunade in years—it's time for teacher and student to reminisce properly."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Kazuki had no desire to linger in the Hokage's office, so he turned and left. Whatever thoughts Sarutobi Hiruzen had in his mind were irrelevant to him—he simply didn't care.
"I haven't seen that girl Tenten in a while. I wonder how much she's improved?"
A small smile formed at the corner of Kazuki's lips as he thought of her. He had been away from home for so long; she was probably worried. No doubt, once he returned, she would follow him around for days before finally giving up.
"Captain!"
"Captain!"
"Captain Mink!"
The moment he stepped outside, he was greeted by Sunflower, Qing, and Haidao from his Anbu squad.
"The comrades we rescued from the Land of Hot Water have already reported to Lord Hokage. He has reassigned them to other positions."
Upon hearing this, Haru and Kaidō lowered their heads, unable to meet Kazuki's gaze.
They felt ashamed.
They had failed him during the mission—disobeying direct orders, nearly jeopardizing the entire team. They had no right to look him in the eye.
"Go and collect the mission bonus, then take some time to rest," Kazuki instructed.
"Understood..." Sunflower was the first to respond.
The mission had been harrowing. If it weren't for Captain Mink, she might not have survived.
The enemy they encountered—one with five hearts, one who didn't die even after being beheaded—had shaken her worldview. She needed time to process it all.
"Captain Mink… would it be alright if I visited you during the break?"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Sunflower to ask that.
"Sure," he replied with a small smile.
"Cap... Captain..."
Haru and Kaidō hesitated before stepping forward. Their guilt was evident.
"What is it?" Kazuki asked.
The moment the words left his mouth, he understood.
During the mission in the Land of Hot Water, they had disobeyed orders, nearly compromising the entire squad. No captain would be pleased with such insubordination.
And now…
He had just finished reporting to Hokage-sama.
Qing and Haidao were on edge.
"Don't worry," Kazuki reassured them. "I didn't badmouth you to Hokage-sama. I gave an objective account of the mission and made it clear that your actions were driven by concern for Konoha's people."
"Did Lord Hokage… say anything about us?" Qing asked hesitantly.
Kazuki shook his head.
"No, he didn't mention you."
A heavy silence followed before he added, "Alright. Everyone's exhausted from this mission. Go home and rest."
With that, he turned and left.
Behind him, he heard Kaidō's voice trembling with relief.
"We... we're still in Anbu?"
"Thank you, Lord Kazuki!!"
Kazuki said nothing as he made his way to the mission reward office, collected the team's payment, and headed home.
Haidao was too naïve.
Sure, Kazuki hadn't set them up for punishment.
Sure, the undercover agents in the Land of Hot Water had vouched for them.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen was an old schemer.
Did they really think a ninja who disobeyed direct orders, disregarded the chain of command, and acted on impulse would be allowed to thrive in Konoha?
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